Quitters in Bollywood.

Every once in a while there comes a film that inspires and changes your life for the better. These films give you something that you can readily apply to your life. Here are three inspiring films that teach us great things about life. Read on…

Band Baaja Baaraat depicts the story of a guy and a girl in their twenties. Bittoo Sharma, a fun-loving guy without a care for his future meets Shruti Kakkar, who is all set on starting her own ‘Wedding Planning’ business. They decide to work together with Chanda Kochchar, a wealthy, popular businesswoman, to gain experience of the business. They work hard but cannot deal with the dishonest practices undertaken by their employer, Chanda.

Together Bittoo and Shruti, quit Chanda’s company and decide to challenge Chanda by becoming her competitor in the market. Easier said than done! It took a few modest ‘shaadi’ arrangements before they could clinch the deal with a couple who was being pitched a deal by Chanda Kochchar. Bittoo and Shruti manage to swing the deal in their direction while walking the soon-to-be-wed couple to the parking lot. Behind the love story in this 140-minute entertainer is the theme of believing in quitting anything that pulls you down while choosing to be a winner in life.

Chak De! India, a sports drama film on field hockey, is one of the better inspirational films in the genre of sport. It depicts the story of the former captain of the Indian hockey team, Kabir Khan, out to win back his lost reputation. In his back story, Khan is shown missing a crucial penalty shot in a match against the arch-rival, Pakistan, resulting in a major outcry, accusing him of foul-play. Seven years later, he takes on the mammoth task of coaching the Indian women’s national field hockey team for the hockey world cup. Initially, the team resents his training. The film masterfully depicts how the Indian team – consisting of people representing various states and showing lack of tolerance towards each other – align themselves together for a common goal. The team was able to lift the World Cup Championship, only because they quit their individual differences, their fears and egos, their prejudices and judgements, and rose together as a unit to accomplish the impossible.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara depicts the lives of three friends, Kabir, Imraan and Arjun, out on a bachelor trip to Spain. Behind the good fun is the theme of quitting fear (both in mental and physical space) by facing it upfront. All the three are shown to have physical fears and decide to realise their long-standing pact on the trip, by undertaking an adventure sport, so as to challenge the fear upfront and overcome it. At a deeper level, the film also projects how every one of them has their own problems that cannot be dealt with so easily. ZNMD is like a journey which leads each protagonist to quit the thing that holds them back and become free of its shackles. In Kabir’s case, it is a forced relationship. Imraan deals with the thought of finding and questioning his biological father on why he decided to escape from the familial bond and responsibility. Arjun, too, challenges his uptight demeanour and comes to realise how important human relationships are, and that these should not be neglected because of work.

In all of these films the one commonality is quitting; the central characters are seen quitting that which makes them vulnerable. They choose a life that liberates them, makes them stronger and in command of their actions.

Share with us the films that have contributed to or changed your life. Let us know your list of inspiring films.

Get Inspired! Have no Fear!

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